


Fire Next Door

by Borked



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Neighbors, Post-Break Up, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader Is a Student, Reader is going thru a lot, Sans is just a good friend, Shitty appartements, Slow Burn, Trauma, Trying to heal, after a while hehe, and a lil depressing, and a lil political, but he likes you, grillby is cheeky, it's going to be a lil bit sad, manipulative parents, you think you like him too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:35:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29383542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borked/pseuds/Borked
Summary: Last months weren't easy on you.A sudden end to your relationship sure sucked.You knew your boyfriend wasn't perfect but you never imagined him to be a cheater.You never imagined yourself living in a prominently monster complex either.if we decided to call whatever you've been doing living that is.
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Grillby (Undertale)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 63





	1. Where do you go now?

**Author's Note:**

> Grillby/Reader fanfic  
> Fireball won't make an appearance till chapter 3 so fasten your seatbelts friends

It has been a rough 3 months. At the end of your summer break, you found out your boyfriend of three years had been cheating on you. And maybe that wouldn’t be as world-shattering, if the two of you hadn’t been living together for two years already. 

And if you hadn’t been in love with him of course. 

The two of you got together at the beginning of your final year in high school, and when the last semester was reaching to an end, he asked you to move out of your father’s house and move in with him. Apparently, he managed to find an apartment close enough to your university. The one that you were planning to go to with him (And you did). And with both of your working part time, rent wasn’t a problem. Sure, the walls needed to be repainted and furniture could’ve used some renovation but the flat on its own was nice. Spacious. So that, and the fact that you weren’t sure if you could withstand your controlling, manipulative, piece of shit father any longer, made you agree in an instant. 

And thanks to that freedom, finally, you could go and study what you not despised. Your father could no longer threat you with kicking you out “and seeing how you’re going to support yourself with an education like that” unless you go and study what he tells you is best for you. No longer had any leverage to make you shut up and obey. 

When you went to him to deliver the news, your talk was incredibly short. You said “I’m moving in with Charlie”, he responded “You’ll regret that” and when the front door was almost closed behind you, you’ve heard him shout “You'll come back crying to me later!” in that patronizing tone he always used with you. 

He didn’t get outside to see you out. Not that you were surprised. That was the last time you two have spoken with each other.

It’s been two years already. 

So, when a girl from your college sent you those screenshots and – ugh – recordings, apart from anger and disbelief, you’ve also felt completely lost. Your boyfriend was at work at the moment, or at least that’s what he told you, so you scrolled thru another set of pictures. The pit in your stomach growing. At the very bottom of your conversation, the only thing beside screenshots, was a lone sentence: 

“I’m really sorry, I swear I didn’t know about you” 

… 

“Thank you for letting me know” 

Was there anything else you could’ve added? You still remembered how your chest squeezed painfully as you tried to calm yourself down. You had to focus on what to do. Where do you go now? 

You would have rather die, than go to your father. That time away from him only convinced you more, that cutting him off was the best decision to be ever made here. 

The thought of forgetting about what your boyfriend have done crossed your mind too, you immediately scolded yourself for even entertaining this idea.

No. 

You couldn’t stay here. With him. It would drive you crazy. It already was doing that. 

You had to get away. 

You packed your suitcase, your bags and dropped your keys in the mail box. 

You wondered if he deserved a face to face confrontation, a final goodbye before you leave. But you’ve decided to send him the exact same screenshots you received instead. And then you blocked him. 

Your soul ached already bad enough. Seeing him in person would have only made it worse. 

You managed to find a very cheap apartment after a night in a cheap hostel. It was not that much further away from your college, than where you lived before. And the furniture was left behind by the previous locator. Surprisingly the complex was built only 2 years ago... Honestly, it was shocking that any landlord was going to set a rent that low. 

It quickly turned out, that this mystery had a pretty easy solution. It was one of those buildings that quickly emerged just after the Monsters were set free from their centuries long imprisonment. And human race staying true to its reputation had not been the most welcoming one when that happened.

The mountain under which an entire civilization has been trapped was located not so far from your city.

You remembered the initial shock when the news broke out. You were sitting on the living room, when your boyfriend switched TV to the news channel. Your looked with your mouth opened at the pictures and recordings of monsters flashing on the screen. With some amazed “Holy shit” from the other side of the couch. 

It all stayed a hot topic for a couple months and then it gradually started dying down. You noticed more and more monster faces around you over time. And as it became a subject your boyfriend didn’t want to hear about after a while, you never really dwelt anywhere deeper, besides what you could get from the news. 

Well maybe that’s a lie, you tried a couple of times, but the results were always pretty discouraging. Mainstream media didn’t really cover much, they stopped after first wave of shock died down, and those that didn’t do that, reported on nothing besides some inflated “Outraging News”, feeding into the fear of people that had some strong anti-monster sentiments already.

Nonetheless you signed the lease. You couldn’t afford anything much better and for sure anything more expensive anyway. 

After that, everything -moving in, unpacking, changing registered address and so on and so on- was pretty much a blur.

Next thing you remembered was finally standing in your living room. Your bags emptied. Your fridge stuffed with more microwave food that was reasonable. Especially that you had no idea if the microwave that came with the flat was in a working condition. 

And as you stood there, slowly crossing out the positions on your mental to do list, the reality started really sinking in for the first time. The adrenaline was wearing off and the parts of your mind that had been staying quiet till now, reminded you of their not so pleasant existence. 

You had no life to go back to. Those walls with scratched wallpaper, the wrecked couch and mornings with no one to eat your breakfast with now was your life. 

You’ve been driven away from everything you loved and cherished, by the one and only person who made you love and cherish that everything. The person you loved and cherished. 

He cheated on you. 

You felt your tears finally dripping down your face, as waves of sorrow and heartache washed through you. 

You knew they were coming, but you weren't prepared for how much they hurt.

They hurt so much. 

And with everything that needed to be taken care of, did and done, you allowed yourself to truly ache.

And so you cried. 

And cried. 

And cried. 

You couldn’t remember how many nights you had fallen asleep, sobbing, on that ugly green couch, just to wake up, eat something and cry again. You didn’t know that you could go without a shower for so many days. And without speaking to no one.

It was almost like you didn't exist.

You quit your job. 

You made an appointment with your college counselor. 

You were going to take a gap semester. 

A break. You needed that. A couple of months during which you could just sit and focus on picking yourself back up. 

You’ve made some savings. A lot of them actually. You started working more hours in your part time job a year ago, when your boyfriend – ex boyfriend you corrected yourself – brought up the subject of marriage. 

You certainly didn’t have to worry about any kind of wedding anymore. 

The only thing you were going to worry about now was you. 


	2. Should’ve taken a monster cab sweetheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How many things can go wrong on a walk back home from the counselor office?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Hello!  
> Thank you all so much for the positive comments on the first chapter, they're all really appreciated  
> I hope you enjoy this one as well hehe

The feelings you had when talking with the counselor, would've been best described as draining. 

Going over what happened made your mind leave that comforting state of numbness. It reminded you of the worn-out broken heart, that you’ve been carrying around. 

You haven’t cried at all during the conversation. And you thanked heavens, that your dehydrated body made the best out of the state it was in. Which was a pretty miserable state to be fair. There was this part of you, that felt ashamed you had to take a break, because you just couldn’t deal with everything in - what your father would call - a mature manner. You knew that sobbing in front of that women would’ve only made feelings of humiliation worse. 

So you bit your lip, gave her the most condensed version of the story, hoped she would just leave the subject be and _help you_. To your surprise that’s exactly what she did, however she still did look extremely worried for you. 

With the goodbyes, she told you to take good care of yourself during the break, to take it slow. 

You took a taxi back home. You felt so exhausted, you almost fell asleep in the backseat. Everything made you feel exhausted nowadays. To an extent you were surprised, that you’ve managed to pull through with this appointment at all. Cause even simply thinking about a shower left you mentally tired. 

Your eyes started to close and you felt yourself drifting away. The stench of smoke that you would normally mind a great lot, was no longer bothering you. The swaying of the car lulling you to sleep. 

The driver clearly had different plans than to let you nap in peace though. 

He stopped his car two streets away from your destination. You opened your eyes to check what was wrong. He pointed at the taximeter. Then added in flat tone. 

\- Fare. 

You slowly blinked at him. Was he joking? 

\- We’re not at the place yet? 

He stopped the engine and turned to look at you. 

\- I don’t drive to the monster parts of the city. If you wanted to get there, should’ve taken a monster cab sweetheart. 

He flashed his yellow teeth and pointed at the taximeter again. 

\- And you didn’t tell me this from the start because? 

You hoped that your sleepy voice sounded at least a little bit angry. He let out a sigh, his smile was gone, his hand taking one bent cigarette out of a crumpled pack. Marlboros. 

\- Listen, - he shot you a tired glance, hands patting his pockets in search of a lighter– either we solve it civilized way, or we can call the cops and see with who they gon side with. - he finally found it in his back pocket – Your choice. 

You would have scoffed at him if you hadn’t hoped he can still be convinced. You really didn’t want to walk back home. You debated testing, if he was going to pull through with his threat. Would he really waste so much time just to not drive another two streets? You’ve stayed still until he spoke up again. 

\- So? 

He unlocked his phone and looked at you expectantly. You felt the bubble of frustration going upwards your stomach. Fuck. All you wanted was to be home already and back to sleep, not argue with some asshat, over how he should do his job properly. Was the whole world really ganging up on you lately? 

You yanked your wallet open and pulled the cash out, immediately shoving it into his hand. He gave you another complacent grin as you pulled on the handle. 

\- Hava nice day sweetheart. 

While the first time it has slipped your mind, now the use of that dumb fucking pet name really made you want to spit on him. 

\- Have your tires slashed asshole 

You slammed the door. Fucking scammer. 

With the old cab disappearing behind the corner, your anger started to disappear as well. Being angry costed way more energy, than you could afford right now. 

You dragged your feet along the pavement. Every second step kicking forward a small stone. 

Your head was facing the ground when you bumped into somebody. You raised your hands in apologetic manner and looked up. 

Before you stood a clearly distressed blue rabbit (hare?) monster, dressed in a bright yellow shirt and pair of equally bright red pants, both items contrasting with the color of his fur. There was a mix of emotions apparent on his face. Some of them easier to recognize than others. Like suspicion. And worry. 

\- Sorry, sorry – you finally muttered – Are you okay? 

He nodded his head slowly, some of his wariness slipping away. He bent down to look at the wheels of a vending cart, you’ve just now realized you were standing next to. 

Actually, it was the lack of wheels he was looking at. If not for his upset expression, you would find the sight of a cart like that a little bit funny. The lacking height made it almost half a meter shorter, than it was supposed to be. It just looked like somebody placed a red freezer on the sidewalk and left. 

After a second you realized, that you’ve been standing there, just staring at him for the entire time. The monster was now giving you a questioning look. That was... mixed with some hope? Oh. Oh God damn it. Fine, maybe doing a good deed will make you feel better. 

\- Do you need some help? 

The rabbit smiled brightly at that, relieved breath escaping his mouth. 

\- Please? - he moved to stand at one end of the cart, grabbing its edges – I just need to move it to my garage, it’s very close I promise. 

You took a deep breath. The last thing you wanted to do today was exercise. Nonetheless, you hanged your purse on a protruding folded beach umbrella and you placed your hands on the other end of the cart. 

\- Where to exactly? 

You gave him a surprised look, when he gave you the address of your apartment complex. 

\- I live there. 

It was his turn to look surprised. The emotion quickly shifting into excitement. 

\- Means we’re neighbors. - You both lifted the cart up, it wasn’t as heavy as you expected – It's a pretty rare thing to see a human live so close to us. 

You caught onto the unspoken question. Why were you living here out of all places, that’s what he wanted to know. Unfortunately for him, you really didn’t feel like going over it again. The counselor talk was enough. Slowly but surely, you both started making your way to his garage. 

\- ______ – you said and when he raised an eyebrow at you, you added – ______’s my name. Since we’re neighbors, I felt like I should at least introduce myself. 

He laughed, nodding his head. 

\- Right, right, where are my manners. I’m Thumper. I live on the second floor. 

Well compared to him, you had a bit of a climb ahead of you. You grimaced as you remembered that the lift was out of service still. It has been out of service since you've moved in. Lately you started to doubt, if it was getting fixed at all. 

\- Seventh floor here. 

He gave a low whistle at that and looked at you with pity. Yeah, that pretty much confirmed your suspicion. 

Your eyes landed at the empty spot where his wheel once been. 

\- Does that happen often? 

He followed your gaze with his own and let out a grumble. 

\- Not that often... – he looked at the sky – More often than it’s desired though – his eyes returned to you and his head made a small motion in your direction – as you know, not all humans are this kind. 

Your mind returned to the encounter with the taxi driver from earlier, your head nodding agreement. 

\- Sorry, it was a dumb question. - you fixed your grip on the peace of metal – so what are you selling exactly? Ice cream? 

He gave you a bright smile at that. 

\- Nice cream. 

You weren’t sure if he was joking. He laughed at your confused expression. You probably squinted your eyes without even realizing it. After another long moment of you trying to decipher, if he was testing your ignorance, he decided to spare you the embarrassment. 

\- It’s a monster treat. Similar to ice cream, but made with magic. A frozen treat that warms your heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grillby will be arriving soon dwdw  
> Feel free to let me know what you think!


	3. Sharing this space with fire.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laundry day fellas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, yes it is a lil short, but that's because I can't make the next chapter almost 1k words longer, than it  
> already is going to be so hey  
> enjoy nonetheless

It has been three days since you helped Thumper get his wheel-less cart home. Three days of being curled up in your dollar store blanket on that old nasty couch. It should probably worry you that you can go without moving for so long. But at least now, not moving also involved not crying and not shaking and maybe being numb but finally peaceful. If not counting the aggressive grumble from your stomach demanding food from time to time, breaking the silence of your room and in your head. 

You rocked your brain trying to remember if you ate anything besides breakfast today. You had to, right? Or maybe that was yesterday... Days had the tendency to blur together now. Maybe it would be a good idea to take Thumper up on his offer on some thank you for helping me nice cream. 

You almost ran out of your precooked meals anyway. The thought of an empty fridge was sitting at the back of your head, for at least a couple of hours now. One of those persistent grumbles, coming from your discontent stomach, made you finally untangle yourself from the blanket. Your back and neck ached to be stretched. 

Getting to the bathroom began to be progressively more and more difficult, trash and dirty clothes thrown and left all across your unvacuumed floor. You knew you should clean up at least a little bit. Later. Shower now, while you still have motivation to do so. 

The water was cold of course. With each passing week of you living here, you got more and more assured that this was the norm in this apartment. Half of the things not functioning - half of the time. And when they were, the other half would go down. Oh well, at least with this amount of power cuts you won’t have to worry about the bills. 

What you did have to worry about however, is that you almost ran out of clean clothes by now. And you knew you’ll need them, if you’re not planning to die of starvation anytime soon. 

Unfortunately for you, laundry room was in the basement. Or more like it was the basement. And the lift was as out of service as ever. 

So here you were, about to walk down seven stories, dressed in your last pair of semi-clean sweatpants and old oversized hoodie you didn’t remember buying, with an overflowing laundry basket carried in your hands. 

When you stepped out, the seventh floor was as quiet as always. Thumper mentioned, while you were carrying his cart through the garage door, that it was practically abandoned, with only yours and one other flat occupied. He also mentioned the name of your neighbor, but you managed to forget it already. Not that it mattered, with how rarely you left your place you probably could go your whole stay here, without as much as bumping into them. 

Each floor you passed was louder than the one above it. Ground floor being the loudest, but that was thanks to the bakery and a small convenience store. 

You passed them both, going down the final set of stairs. 

Laundry room, being the basement, was doorless, so the second you moved your foot from the last step, you found yourself at your destination. With not a living soul there except for you. 

Washing machines and dryers were placed against three out of four walls there, leaving the one with the exit bare. In the middle, two rows of white-ish plastic chairs were placed, each one facing opposite direction. High tables were standing at both of seatless ends. 

You kicked your basket to the moldy wall you were facing. At some stage your arms had enough of carrying the enormous weight of almost every single clothing item you had here. 

Now that you were up close, you noticed that not only the chairs weren’t proper white thanks to their age, rather than anything else, but the washing machines weren’t so young themselves. In that moment, you couldn’t help but wonder if some ancient laundromat had to finally close up, and in a last desperate attempt to squeeze out whatever money could be squeezed from this dying business, they sold all that was now here, to whoever was the developer of this god forsaken building. 

As you bent down to open one of the glass round doors, you’ve heard steps coming down the stairwell. Apparently, a couple of chairs and lousy tables could do a great job at hiding your presence, having this person only stop in their tracks, when you stood up straight to turn and see whoever you were sharing this space with now. 

And you were sharing this space with fire. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes the title was a clickbait


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